A disturbing incident of cyber extortion turned fatal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, when Malti Verma, a schoolteacher, suffered a fatal heart attack after receiving a threatening call from an international scammer. The incident highlights the growing menace of sophisticated cyber fraud targeting vulnerable citizens.
How was a teacher trapped in cyber extortion in Agra?
The tragedy unfolded on September 30 when Verma received a WhatsApp call from an individual claiming to be a police officer.
The caller later traced to Pakistan through the +92-country code prefix, attempted to extort Rs. 1 lakh by falsely claiming her daughter had been arrested in a sex trafficking case.
“After she got the call from the man, she panicked and called me, and I asked her for the number from which she had received the call. When I checked the number, I found that it had a +92 prefix and I told her it was a scam. She was still very anxious and started feeling unwell,” recounted her son, Divyanshu.
Cyber extortion turns fatal
Despite Divyanshu’s attempts to reassure his mother, including confirming his sister’s safety at college, the emotional distress proved overwhelming. Verma collapsed shortly after returning from school around 4:00 PM and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The victim’s daughter, who was attending college during the incident, stated, “I got a call from my brother who asked me where I was. He told me to give him a video call after I informed him that I was in college.”
Here’s what the Agra police said:
\A senior police official confirmed the investigation: “The cause for this, her husband has said, was that she had received a call stating that her daughter had been caught in a sex racket and the caller had demanded Rs. 1 lakh from her. She got very worried because of this and died 15 minutes after she reached home. We are investigating the number from which the call came and will take action.”
Congress raises concern over digital arrest scams
The Congress party has raised concerns about the rising frequency of such “digital arrest” scams, stating in Hindi on X, “This is not the first incident of ‘digital arrest’ in the country. Such cases are coming to light every day. Cyber criminals are continuously harming people.”
Footage circulating on social media captured the frantic moments as neighbours attempted to help Verma, showing them carrying her to a vehicle for emergency medical attention.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for increased awareness about cyber fraud and stronger measures to combat international scam operations targeting Indian citizens.
